Woman Crush Wednesday: The Force Is With Gwendoline Christie

It’s Wednesday. Which means it’s totally cool to very publicly crush on your favorite lady. Here at Decider, we like to make a weekly point of bowing down to a kick-ass member of the female race and today, we’re head over heels for Gwendoline Christie of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In J.J. Abrams highly anticipated franchise installment (finally in theaters this Friday!), Christie plays Captain Phasma, an officer of the First Order. Known for her badassery on HBO‘s Game of Thrones, the British actress — who got her start on the London stage — has come up fast these last three years and has established herself as one of the toughest chicks on the big and small screens. Get to know the rest of Christie’s TV and filmography before you see her tackle the Force this weekend.

WHO’S THAT LADY?: Gwendoline Christie

WHY WE’RE CRUSHING: Ummm, how could we not fall for her? Just look at how she wields her sword in a deadly fashion.

WHERE YOU KNOW HER FROM: If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, there’s no chance you won’t recognize Christie as Brienne of Tarth, sworn protector of the late King Renly (you remember the dude who was killed by Stanis’ shadow). Brienne, often ridiculed for her towering stature and the fighter’s path she’s chosen, is one of the strongest, most empowering female characters on TV right now and we have Christie to thank. A ruthless warrior, Brienne takes no prisoners (except Jamie Lannister) in her quest to protect Sansa Stark from harm — a promise she made years ago to Sansa’s late mother, Catelyn, years ago.